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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/30048186">Death Everlasting</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Saffir/pseuds/Saffir'>Saffir</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Corpse Bride (2005)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>F/M, First Kiss, Fluff, i'm only here to give emily the ending she deserved, only death here is victor's, reunited</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2021-03-15</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-03-15</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-16 02:27:36</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Major Character Death</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>9,128</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/30048186</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Saffir/pseuds/Saffir</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Ever since that long night in the cathedral, Emily hadn't left Victor's mind. Part of him yearned to see her again- and so, when his death comes early, he uses the opportunity to right his wrongs and finally reunite with the woman he loved and lost.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Victor Van Dort/Emily</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>2</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>38</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Death Everlasting</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>hoo boy! i started writing this in what- december? only took me 3 months haha- though not a surprise considering how awful of a writing block i've been in.<br/>ANYWAYS! i watched corpse bride with my girlfriend a few months ago and was upset at the ending, since in my mind victor and emily had a lot more chemistry AND emily deserved better than what she got. after scouring for a good corpse bride fic that has victor and emily get together and only finding one, i took it upon myself to write a fic about them, with their own happily ever after. so lo and behold- a true happily ever after for our dear emily and victor. enjoy !</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Victor Van Dort had grown, to put it simply, quite intrigued with the idea of death (or enamored really, but he didn’t like to put it that way). Of course, it <i>had</i> only been three years since his near brush with death in that lone cathedral, he realized. Perhaps it wasn’t all that surprising that he had become so entranced by death. And perhaps it was fate that he had been drawn to it again so soon.</p><p>His life had forever changed after that cathedral. Emily had departed from him, leaving him to marry Victoria. Of course, that had been a challenge in itself- after his original disappearance, Victoria’s parents no longer approved of him. But Victoria wanted him, and with the support of his parents, they got married anyways. Victoria was pleased, happy to finally have the opportunity to unsheath herself from her family’s name and take on a new family instead. Victor’s parents were kind- or kinder than her own, at least. They might not have had much love for one another, but Victoria had appreciated having them as her new parents.</p><p>The wedding had been simple but lovely, with Victoria in a wonderful but plain white gown. They exchanged vows, and adorned each other’s hands with a simple pair of gold rings. They found a small but cozy home in the village, and moved in. And for the first time in Victor’s lonely and dreary life, he was happy.</p><p>He should’ve known his happiness wouldn’t last long.</p><p>His fall first started a few days after the wedding, when he fell asleep to a dream of Emily- her blue, gaunt face filling his mind. He fell asleep a week later to a similar dream, and then again and again. He distracted himself by staying at Victoria’s side, and while the dreams eventually subsided, it wasn’t long before the woman’s face was in his mind again.</p><p>About half a year after the cathedral, he started having nightmares- <i>could he even call them nightmares? He always felt happy afterwards</i>- about Emily, hearing her voice ring through his head, feeling her skeletal hand upon his own warm, fleshy one. Her touch, her voice, it haunted him. He came to realize he wanted to see Emily again- but tore himself out of the delusion after telling himself that she was still in the Land of the Dead, that he was alive and warm while she was dead and cold, that he couldn’t see her again. The mantra only slightly comforted him, but he’d busy himself with married life and the dreams eventually subsided. </p><p>Then, a year and a half into his and Victoria’s marriage, they both began to fall apart. Victor didn’t know what set the dominos off- perhaps Victoria had caught onto his feelings before he did, perhaps he had been too cold to her, he didn’t know. All he knew is that by the time they began to fall apart, whatever feelings he thought he had for Victoria had long since ebbed away. </p><p>He had realized then, he had never truly been in love with Victoria. She was kind, yes. Beautiful. She liked music, always tended to him and had one of the prettiest smiles he had ever seen. She was, by all measures, the perfect wife- but she wasn’t the one for him. </p><p>He thought he had fallen for her, had convinced himself of the idea. After all, they <i>had</i> gotten along since the start, had similar interests and ideas. It fully seemed as though he had fallen for her, but he knew that wasn’t the case. He had simply mistaken getting along with her with having feelings for her.  Perhaps it was only that Victoria was simply the first girl he had ever properly talked to. </p><p>His childhood had been an isolating one, kept in his house with nothing to do but play the piano and sketch. The only time he saw women other than his mother were in passing, on the street. Then, one day in his early 20’s, he had been told he was to be wed, was pushed into a carriage with his parents and driven to a large manor. There he had met Victoria, talked about piano and gone to the chapel for the rehearsal. He had screwed up his vows and left for the woods, where he met Emily and got dragged down to the land of the dead.</p><p>It was odd to say that he missed the place. Of course, he knew that he’d be back there one day, but he found himself yearning to return sooner. It was perhaps a surprise then that he hadn’t yet taken his own life, but there was still that small terrified part of him that was too nervous, too scared to fall into the cold arms of death. He knew that with death would come the tinting of his skin, his face turning gaunt, his organs rotting, and much more he didn’t care to think about. As much as he yearned to find himself dead, the thought of such things kept him alive and busy. </p><p>He took a job not long after the nightmares started. It kept him busy, gave him an excuse to stay away from home, gave him something to think about besides his slowly failing marriage. And each night when he came home, Victoria was already in bed, quiet and never saying a word. </p><p>They had built somewhat of a routine in that way. They’d wake up together, prepare for the day together, and eat together- all mostly in silence. Then Victor would leave for work, leaving Victoria to tend to the house and her own whims while he was away. And then he’d come home past dark to a sleeping or close to sleep Victoria, and they’d fall asleep together. It kept them busy, but more importantly, it kept them apart. </p><p>And it seemed like neither of them wanted to confront the elephant in the room. Of course, the silence couldn’t last forever- Victor knew that.</p><p>The third step in his fall had been two years into his and Victoria’s marriage. They had been trying for children all that time, but had never once been lucky. But a trip to the doctor’s had revealed a horrible truth- Victoria was almost entirely infertile. There was, of course, a small chance she could conceive- but the doctor had informed them that it was so rare, she likely would never bear a child.</p><p>Victoria had been inconsolable after that. She had stayed in bed for four whole days, during which Victor made no moves to disrupt her. He’d bring her food and drink in the mornings and evenings, but let her lay in bed for those four days. He had tried to console her, but eventually found that his words were empty things that didn’t do much to make her feel better. </p><p>The final step in his fall happened pretty soon thereafter. Left inconsolable and shattered by the news, Victoria seemed much more observant than usual. And it hadn’t taken long to realize that she had picked up on both Victor’s lack of feelings for her, and his surplus of feelings for Emily. It had been two weeks after the news when Victoria had finally broken- and with tears streaming down her face, sobbed in outrage at Victor for falling for Emily. Crying that he hadn’t fallen for her, but for Emily. Victor had yet to properly confront his feelings, but he had simply lowered his eyes in shame and muttered a small, “I’m sorry.”</p><p>It’s not like he could argue with her, after all. Deep down, he knew Victoria was right, that he was in love with Emily. How could he object to something he knows is true? </p><p>Victor fought for weeks to defeat his feelings for the corpse bride. Victoria was his wife after all, she was the one in his arms and in his bed. And yet he still couldn’t find himself in love with her. He felt bad- he knew all Victoria wanted was a man who’d love her, who’d cherish her and give her exactly what she deserves. So when he suggested a divorce, it was both the obvious solution and the hardest choice to make.</p><p>He still remembers that day- how it was the first day in nearly two and a half years of marriage that he and Victoria talked through everything. How despite his own attempts to switch his affections, he was still completely enamored with Emily, how he knew Victoria deserved better than him, how their marriage would only weigh her down and keep her tied to a man who didn’t love her. Ultimately, through many hours of talking and tears, they came to the conclusion that it was, unfortunately, the most likely cause of action for the two of them.</p><p>How ironic it would be then, that Victor’s own death came before the two could even properly divorce.</p><p>~~~~~</p><p>It had been a dreary, rainy day since the moment Victor had woken up. The clouds completely obfuscated the sky, leaving not a drop of blue visible. Rain had fallen in torrents, pitt-patterning along the roof. Perhaps it hadn’t been the smartest decision to get into a carriage, then, but Victor had something to do. </p><p>He was visiting an old family friend that day, to finalize the financial arrangements so he could make sure Victoria was stable after the divorce, which he &amp; Victoria were keeping hidden from most they knew- hoping to keep it a secret until after it was over. There wasn’t much left to do- the papers had been signed, both parties had agreed, and now the financial aspects were all but taken care of. He suspected he and Victoria would be married another two weeks at the most- then she’d be free to find the man of her dreams, and Victor would be free to chase his own pursuits. He didn’t yet know what those were- <i>(death,</i> his mind told him, <i>sweet death)</i> - but he dared not to venture a guess and figured he’d discover for himself once the divorce went through. </p><p>He sat alone in the carriage, watching quietly as the rain pattered onto the window. It was November now. The onset of winter approaching brought with it cold, but not yet any snow. Winter was a season Victor had always had mixed feelings about, but ultimately came to appreciate. The snow was a pleasant thing, and he loved dressing up in coats and sitting by the fire on especially cold days. </p><p>The carriage was being driven by a man Victor didn’t really know all that well, but someone that his parents had hired to tote him and his wife around whenever they needed. He and Victoria were mainly supported by his parents, as his own job at a nearby office wasn’t making a tremendous amount. Still, his parents seemed fine supporting them, happy to finally see their son married. </p><p>Victor watched quietly as the rain pattered down onto the carriage window. As he sat in silence, hands in his lap over the files he had been carrying, he suddenly heard a sharp noise come from outside. He whipped his head around towards the source of the noise, and then he heard a crash. As his eyes widened and he was about to cry out a question to the driver, the carriage suddenly veered violently to the side, taking Victor with it and nearly slamming his head on the side. Before Victor could even contemplate what was happening, the carriage crashed off of the side of the cliff they were driving on. </p><p>Victor fell to the top of the carriage in the force, then to the floor. Before he could even get an ounce of his bearings, the carriage fell further and faster. Victor felt a very sharp rush of intense pain, and then black filled his vision and that was all he knew. </p><p>~~~~~</p><p>Victor blinked. He felt the rain patter gently on his face as he stared up at the slowly lightening sky. He blinked again, slightly confused. He sat up, trying to gather his thoughts to the chorus of raindrops around him. </p><p>He had been in a carriage, and the carriage had hit something and veered off the side of the mountain. He had been slammed against the side, the top and the bottom of the interior of the carriage, felt immense pain and was then swallowed up by the dark. Surely he hadn’t survived that?</p><p> </p><p>He turned his head and instantly noticed something was off- his head was tilted to the side. Without a mirror to check what exactly had happened, he had no way in the moment of telling what was wrong with his head. Instead, he stood and walked towards the nearest thing he could see, which he quickly noticed was the carriage. As he stepped near it, he quickly spotted something near the carriage- to his horror, it was the body of the man who had been driving the carriage. The man was splattered on the ground, his limbs either twisted or torn from the impact, laying in a pool of his own blood. A horrific sight. </p><p>Victor stood in fear briefly, before stepping closer to the carriage. He got closer, and saw something else that stopped him in his tracks- it was his own body. And it was a gruesome sight.</p><p>The first thing he noticed was his head. True to the tilt, his neck had been completely broken, snapped to the side to the point where he had been half-decapitated, parts of his neck and bone exposed. Then he noticed multiple lacerations covering his body, along with blood covering his head, falling from a gash that had been hidden by his hair. One of his arms even seemed to be snapped backwards. He raised his unsnapped arm to touch at his neck, and sure enough, felt the bone there. Oddly enough, it hadn’t put him off as much as it should have. Perhaps it was knowing he was dead, or the shock of seeing his own body. He wasn’t sure. </p><p>And as he stared at his body, it suddenly hit him again, full force this time. He was dead. <i>Dead.</i> As a doornail. No pulse or life left in him. He knew what that meant, the implications- he was no longer of the land of the living. He belonged in the land of the dead now- <i>where Emily was,</i> his mind supplied helpfully. He shut his eyes and averted his head in an attempt to put his mind elsewhere, wondering briefly how he’d get there. He had been unconscious the last time he had gone there, and hadn’t even known how he’d gotten there. </p><p>He stood watching his body for a few moments, watching as the rain pattered onto his slowly decaying skin, creating indents in the slowly drying blood. The files he had been carrying were somehow still in the carriage, slightly wet but still thankfully legible. He retrieved the pen from his own coat pocket, stepped forward and scribbled onto the main file, a simple “Please make sure this finds its way to Victoria Van Dort”, making sure to scribble enough that it would be seen as a last-second thing he’d written before death, and not after. Once he did so, he placed his pen back and took a few steps back, content to watch the scene in front of him until he inevitably found his way to the Land of the Dead. </p><p>After a few minutes, he began to hear a low, soft humming. He turned around frantically to find the source of the noise, until he finally spotted a growing hole in the ground a few feet away that hadn’t been there prior. He took a few steps forward and stared, pausing for a few moments until he realized this had to be his way down. Cautiously, he stepped forward, seeing the hole seemed to be much shallower than he expected. With an intrepid step forward, he fell into the hole and was in Elder Gutknecht’s library in seconds. As he collided with the floor, his head took another pang and the skin severed further, causing his head to fall further to the side. However, the elder skeleton seemed oddly unperturbed by Victor’s sudden entrance, only barely looking up at him as Victor laid helplessly on the floor. </p><p>“Victor. Shame to see you back again so soon.”</p><p>Victor stared at the skeleton, using his free hand to help lift his head before hearing two small, familiar voices nearby. Just as he suspected, both the spider and the maggot were nearby, perched on some books, watching him.</p><p>“Well, look what we have here,” The maggot announced, staring as Victor finally stood to his feet. “A new, or shall I say <i>returning</i> visitor.” </p><p>Victor briefly ignored the maggot and looked around- the cluttered and disorganized library looked the exact same as it had nearly three years ago. It gave him an oddly warm feeling, to be in such a familiar room again.</p><p>“I’m truly dead, then?” Victor asked, already knowing the answer.</p><p>“It would appear so,” Gutknecht replied somberly, lifting his glasses. “What happened, my boy?”</p><p>“An accident.” Victor gestured to his broken neck and snapped arm. “My carriage fell off a mountainside. My carrier met the same fate.”</p><p>“Ah yes, he appeared nearly an hour ago.” That explained Gutknecht’s complete apathy at seeing Victor again, he supposed. “Your head has nearly been torn off, I see. Give me a second, I’ll call in some skeletons to fix that.” </p><p>Victor stared briefly before Gutknecht pulled a small bell nearby. Within moments, a small group of skeletons appeared in the library with an array of tools.</p><p>Victor blinked. “Who are they?” </p><p>“They are the body team. They assist any new visitors whose bodies are otherwise not in perfect shape.” Elder Gutknecht replied. “They shall help you with your head and limbs so that you may move freely, if you don’t mind their assistance.” </p><p>Victor only nodded in consent before the group swarmed him- and he was instantly grateful he could no longer feel pain. His head was sawed off with the saw one of them had been holding, and it was then passed to one of the skeletons. He stared in complete awe and shock at his own headless body in front of him as the other skeletons cleaned him up, stitched his wounds closed, wiped all the blood off and snapped any bones back in place. The skeleton holding his head briefly placed it onto Elder Gutknecht’s desk, who looked at the sight without any emotion- it seemed the sight was a daily occurrence for him. Victor just stared as the skeletons placed a pipe in his neck to replace the broken bone there, before also sawing his snapped arm off. They snapped it into place and proceeded to stitch it back onto his body- he knew he’d have issues with it falling off in the future. </p><p>And then, his head was picked up again and shoved back onto his body- he squirmed at the feeling, but no pain shot through him and he absorbed it without issue. The skeletons then stitched his head completely back on as Victor squirmed in discomfort, before finally stepping back to glance at their work. Elder Gutknecht stared at Victor for a few moments and nodded, and the group left the room, leaving the only sounds as the small chuckling from the maggot and the spider.</p><p>“How does that feel, then?”</p><p>Victor padded at his neck with his hands, feeling along the stitching and the occasional ragged edge of his skin. He was then given a mirror, and he was surprised to note his head and neck now looked much cleaner than he had expected. His arm was also nicer, placed back in place and stitched neatly to keep it there. He found he could move his head further than he used to, and that his arm was now more flexible, but he was quick to not push himself too much, advised that the stitching would break otherwise.</p><p>“It’s nice. Functional.”</p><p>“Good. You can make your way down to the town then now. There should be an open home somewhere if you ask.”</p><p>Victor tilted his head in confusion. “An open home?”</p><p>“Yes.” Gutknecht nodded. “We do not have jobs down here, and therefore no economy or anything of the sort. The dead are simply granted an empty home of their choosing.” </p><p>“Ah.” Victor pursed his lips slightly and stared down towards the village. It was then at last that Emily filled his mind again- she was here, he knew. He’d be able to see her again. </p><p>“Emily’s there too.” Gutknecht spoke, catching Victor’s attention. He blinked at him, and Gutknecht gave a motion as if he was going to shrug. “I could tell you were going to ask. I’d be cautious though. She’s quite wary after getting her heart broken a second time.”</p><p>The words sent a pang through Victor’s body- he was sure that if he could feel pain, it’d likely be quite painful. He could only imagine the harm he’d caused poor Emily in his journey of feelings, and barely a day had gone by without a pang of regret shining through him. Even during his own wedding, during the nights he spent with Victoria- he knew his departure, regardless of Emily’s consent, must have hurt for her. </p><p>“She is quite broken up about it.” The maggot huffed, squinting at Victor. “If I were you, I’d leave her alone. She doesn’t deserve any more pain.”</p><p>Victor nodded. “I know. I cannot imagine what I must’ve put her through in my idiocy, and I do not intend to harm her further. I only wish to apologize and nothing more.” </p><p>Elder Gutknecht stared at him for a long while, before nodding. “Go to the tavern you were taken to upon your first arrival. They’ll know where to find her.”</p><p>“Alright. Thank you.”</p><p>“Don’t thank me yet, Victor.” Gutknecht lifted his glasses and stared. “Find her and make it right. She deserves that at the very least.”</p><p>Victor nodded as both the maggot and spider jumped onto him. They crawled into one of his pockets (The maggot had tried to climb into his ear, but he swatted it away) and began to descend the stairs outside of Gutknecht’s library. The town looked the same as it had when he had been here last, dark but still oddly cheerful. </p><p>He walked down the cobbled path and finally into the town square, towards the tavern he had first been taken to. When he emerged into the building, he immediately spotted Bone Jangles standing at the bar. The skeleton quickly spotted him and called him over.</p><p>“Victor! What a pleasant surprise to see you!” The skeleton peered at him with his one functional eye, glancing over the stitch marks along Victor’s neck. “I guess you’ve officially passed over?”</p><p>Victor nodded. “Indeed I have. It was an accident.”</p><p>“Shame, to die so young.” Bone Jangles replied. “Still, Emily shall be happy to see you again.” The skeleton lifted his head, but quickly raised a bony hand when he saw Victor move his lips. “I do warn you though, Emily is a well respected and loved member of this town, so harming her would not be smart. One person already dared to do so, and he ended up in quite the entanglement.”</p><p>Victor paused. “Lord Bittern.”</p><p>Bone Jangles nodded.</p><p>“Whatever happened to him? Afterwards?”</p><p>“Oh, the people of the town had their way with him.” The maggot piped up suddenly, peeking out of Victor’s pocket. “It was delightful.”</p><p>“It truly was,” Bone Jangles replied, “He was brought down here and punished. Of course, one cannot feel pain once they die, but the townsfolk found a way. As for where he is now, he’s locked in the tightest box possible and buried six feet under, where he’ll stay for centuries. A fitting punishment, don’t you agree?”</p><p>Victor nodded. Lord Bittern, for all his fake bravado and titles, was a greedy man who murdered Emily and was planning to murder Victoria all for riches. Victor couldn’t find it in himself to forgive the man. “Of course.”</p><p>“And I presume you do not want to end up like him?”</p><p>“I do not mean to cause any further harm to Emily, if that’s what you ask.” Victor replied. “I wish to apologize and rectify my actions.” </p><p>Bone Jangles stared at Victor for a few moments, properly assessing the dead man in front of him. Eventually, he sighed and nodded his head. “Alright. I shall take you to the open home that Emily has taken residence in. However, if she does not accept your apology or kicks you out, I will ask for you to remove yourself to another town.”</p><p>Victor nodded his agreement, and Bone Jangles proceeded to stand and lead Victor out of the tavern and into the cobbled street. He walked down streets that slowly began to feel familiar to him, through doorways and past pillars of stone and wood. Some of the dead along the streets recognized him, staring at him or letting out cries, while others didn’t and kept to themselves. Eventually, after quite a few winding streets and stone doorways, Victor found himself in front of a medium-sized stone and wood house. </p><p>“This is Emily’s residence. Are you sure you’re ready?”</p><p>“I’ve been ready for years.” Victor replied simply, and Bone Jangles took that as an appropriate response. </p><p>“Stand over there, and don’t come forward until my cue. I wouldn’t wish to startle her right off the bat.” </p><p>Victor nodded and stood to the side, staring towards the doorway. Bone Jangles lifted a bony hand and knocked three times, then waited. After a brief moment, the door opened- and if Victor could breathe, his breath would’ve been gone.</p><p>It was Emily standing there, partially obscured by the open door- but he could still see her dark blue hair, her pale skin, her bony hand holding the door open. </p><p>“Hello, Bone Jangles.” Victor heard her speak, “What brings you here?”</p><p>“I wanted to check in on you again, my dear.” He replied, smiling. “Wanted to make sure you’re okay.”</p><p>Emily, to Victor’s knowledge, seemed to nod. “I am, Bone Jangles. You needn’t worry about me, I’ve healed well enough by now.”</p><p>“That’s good to hear.” Bone Jangles eye seemed to glance at Victor for a split second, before returning to Emily’s face. “I have a visitor here to see you.” </p><p>“Oh? Who?”</p><p>Bone Jangles let out a small whistle, and Victor took that as his cue. Instantly he stepped forward, and was stopped in his tracks by the sight of Emily.</p><p>She was just as beautiful as the day he’d left her- dark blue hair falling delicately onto her shoulders, skin a delicate shade of grayish-blue, her face gaunt yet delicate. Her wedding dress was still slightly torn and dirty, but still beautiful. A crown of dead flowers still adorned her head, holding a veil that fell upon her hair. She stared at him, just as shocked and taken with him as he was with her.</p><p>“Hello, Emily.”</p><p>She stared for a few brief moments, unable to process what she was seeing. “Victor? Is that really you?”</p><p>Victor nodded.</p><p>At once, Emily suddenly realized Victor’s state, her eyes catching in the stitching along his neck. She cried out and ran forward until she was directly in front of him, holding her hands up halfway as her eyes traced every inch of him. “Victor! You’re… you’re-“</p><p>“Dead.” He supplied helpfully, though his tone was more of a disappointing reminder than anything. “It was an accident. Too much rain and mud on the road, and a weak carriage.”</p><p>“Oh my…” Emily teared up as she finally placed her fleshy hand along the stitching of his neck, tracing each one. He smiled somberly and stood still, allowing her to do as she wished. Small cries poured from her lips as she fretted over him. “Oh Victor, I’m so sorry.”</p><p>“For what?”</p><p>“You shouldn’t have been dead this soon!” She cried, wiping away at a tear that was forming. “You should’ve lived longer, should’ve become a grandfather, should’ve-“</p><p>“It’s alright, Emily.” Victor reassured her, briefly clasping her hand in his. “It was my time. And I doubt I would’ve ever become a grandfather. Victoria and I were about to divorce.”</p><p>Emily stared. “What?” </p><p>“It had been a long time coming- we just weren’t meant to be wed. It isn’t your fault,” He reassured her as pain filled Emily’s eyes, “It was mine. I mistook friendship for romance, and took Victoria as my bride when I didn’t feel for her that way. We’ve been crumbling since the moment she crossed the altar. It was just a matter of time.”</p><p>“So-“ Emily sniffed and stared up at him, her deep eyes peering into him, “You’re not upset?”</p><p>“To be dead? No. My time was to come eventually, and after my failed marriage, there wasn’t much to live for anyways. Everything I’d need was already here.” </p><p>Emily blinked and stared at him in both shock and confusion, as Bone Jangles took the opportunity to excuse himself and return to the tavern. “What do you mean, Victor?”</p><p>Victor smiled. “I mean, I made a mistake all those years ago, when I let you leave without a word. You left me with a confession, and it’s time I return that.”</p><p>“Victor-“</p><p>“I love you, Emily. I do. And I’m sorry for letting you think all these years that I didn’t.”</p><p>Emily’s hand clasped itself over her mouth and she briefly ducked her head. When her eyes met his again, small tears were threatening to brim. </p><p>“You don’t have to give me anything right now. I just didn’t want to let you rest in pain any longer.”</p><p>Emily bit her lip and raised both her hands to the side of his head, before eventually pulling him into the house and letting the door close behind them. “Victor I… Are you sure?”</p><p>“More sure than I’ve ever been.” He replied calmly, as both the maggot and the spider finally fell from his pocket and into the house. </p><p>They stared into each other’s eyes for what seemed like an eternity, before Emily finally pulled him in closer. Their lips met in a delicate greeting, a kiss much different than any Victor had experienced (<i>though he hadn’t been dead during those kisses</i>). When she pulled away, he smiled softly at her.</p><p>“I love you.” He murmured, taking a hand to push a strand of her hair back. “I have for months now, likely since the moment we played piano together.” </p><p>Emily’s hand clasped over her mouth again for a brief moment, her eyes taking Victor in in his entirety. Her eyes, wide things they were, shone with a large mix of surprise, melancholy and relief. </p><p>“I do not expect you to forgive me,” Victor brought a hand to briefly cup her cheek, his eyes meeting her own, “But I wanted to tell you, at the very least.”</p><p>“Victor-“ Emily took a pause and bit her lip, before lifting her head to face him properly. “I was never angry or upset with you. I knew our marriage had been a misunderstanding, and I knew you weren’t mine. I have nothing to forgive you for- but rather, many things to be happy for. You’re here, and we have all the time in the world to be together now.” Her hand once again found its way to his face, as she stared deeply into his eyes. “Maybe this time, though, let’s not go right off the bat?”</p><p>Victor took a moment to process the words. “What do you mean?”</p><p>“I mean, maybe let’s not burst out first thing with a wedding.” She explained. “Let’s take a few days, talk. Get to properly know each other before we decide anything.”</p><p>Victor stood taller, pondered for a few moments, and nodded. “If that’s what you want, my dear, I shall wait as long as it takes.”</p><p>~~~~~</p><p>Victor discovered an array of interesting things in the first week of being dead. Firstly, his skin did slowly become gaunt, loosening in some areas and sagging slightly in others- his left eye occasionally popped out now just like Emily’s, something he still didn’t particularly enjoy despite getting used to just about everything else. His body did rot a bit on the inside, but Elder Gutknecht had explained to him that while his body upstairs decomposed rapidly, his body in the land of the dead stayed, for the most part, intact. As such, his body did remain mostly intact, except for the occasion where parts would pop off. For example, his arm, while sewed on wonderfully, hung loose occasionally, leaving Victor to have it retightened every few days. And in those first seven days, his head only fell off once- a disastrous thing, as it popped right off his neck and onto the floor. Emily had gasped and lifted his head back up, careful to put it gently back in place, before carefully stitching it back. Victor had thanked her profusely, but Emily had waved her hand and insisted it wasn’t much.</p><p>In those first seven days dead, Victor had been staying in the same house as Emily- though while she slept on the first floor in a large room, he stayed on the second floor in a smaller room. There was no food to cook or job to go to, so Victor passed his time playing the piano (oftentimes with Emily) and talking walks around the town. Emily accompanied him often, and the two had gotten to know each other tremendously- including each other’s life stories.</p><p>It was because of this that Victor learned Emily’s full name- Emily Elizabeth Becker- and that she had been born five years before him, though she had died at the age he had been when they met- twenty four. He found out that Emily had been born to a somewhat noble family, one much better off than Victor or Victoria’s families could have ever been, and had lived in the neighboring town on the opposite side of the forest. Her father had been a strict man who controlled his daughter and everything she did, never allowing her proper freedom. The only time she was able to do something she enjoyed was the saturdays and tuesdays her father would let her learn music- a talent that had been in her family for generations, one her father insisted on her learning even if she was a ‘useless daughter’ to him. And her mother was a bit more timid, but a lot more caring- she’d sit in on every one of Emily’s piano practices, would encourage her daughter to draw and pursue what she wanted. Her mother was the reason Emily was still single at 24, despite her father wanting her married. Perhaps it was odd then, that her father had despised her wanting to finally marry- but despite her father’s strictness, he was a smart man, able to pick up on whatever darkness laid beneath Lord Bittern’s shell.  </p><p>Still, being a young woman who had never fallen in love before, she met and quickly fell for Lord Bittern, had agreed to meet him at the old oak tree where she instead met her demise- knocked unconscious and buried alive, her jewels and gold stolen by the man she thought was hers. She had laid under that tree for five years, waiting and waiting until Victor found her by chance. She had grabbed out at him, held onto him in a desperate attempt to finally have something for herself. And she had eventually decided that despite her own desires, that Victoria was there, and she had pushed Victor away. She had returned to the land of the dead, had taken residence in a new house and fixed it up some to look like a proper home. She took Scraps in, took care of him and claimed him her only proper family. She’d been happy to be in the land of the dead as a way to get away from her father, but had ultimately become more lonely than she had been laying in the ground. Still, she’d busied herself with music, fixing up her house and socializing with the townsfolk those years.</p><p>And in turn, Victor had told her his own life story- how he was born to two parents who existed in a seemingly loveless marriage. Growing up, his mother was the stricter of the two, hauling him wherever she saw fit, insisting he learn ‘things a proper man should’, keeping him isolated and away from any women but herself. His father was the more timid one, how sitting and talking to Victor somedays, teaching him academics, giving him books- but ultimately, his father was weak to anything his mother did. He told her how he’d lived a mostly isolating life, kept in his house. When he was young, he’d taken up studying the animals outside, butterflies and birds and little frogs that went by the window. He’d even told her most of his life with Victoria- how their marriage, despite seeming happy, had been a facade the whole time, with the only love being what Victoria felt for him. He’d never truly been in love with her, only attracted to the idea of having a wife, and had latched onto Victoria because that’s what he thought he needed to do. He told Emily that their marriage had ultimately crumbled apart (leaving out anything that’d guilt her) and that he and Victoria had ultimately decided that a divorce was their best option. He and Victoria, despite all the hurdles that came with chasing a divorce, had managed to get nearly there before Victor’s untimely death. But he’d left all thought of that behind after his death, insisting that it was a fine ending and that Victoria was now free to find someone who truly loved and cared for her. </p><p>Sharing their prospective life stories had brought them closer than Victor had imagined it would, which was something he’d appreciated. Their dynamic had changed after that- Emily was lighter around him, happier, pleased to finally have someone she was close to- it was a pleasure Victor shared, given how he’d also never had a true friend outside of his isolated childhood. Even his marriage with Victoria hadn’t been as fulfilling as he’d wanted it to be- he and Victoria got along fine, yes, but as their marriage soured, so did any true feelings of content between them. And so, as fast as they had become friends, they’d lost it. And now he had Emily, and they were doing the opposite- getting to know each other and become friends before truly considering marriage.</p><p>As for the whole marriage aspect, they hadn’t actually talked much about it since their reunion. Two days in, Emily had said she’d wanted to try dating first- something Victor hadn’t really heard of, but Emily had said that it was almost like courtship, but they would be an unofficial couple for a while before actually considering marriage, just to see how they’d do in a relationship. Victor had agreed to it, and seven days in, they began dating. </p><p>It was an odd thing, dating, but something Victor found that he liked. Each day they woke up, Emily planned a date and they’d go to whatever place they wanted, hang out for hours, talk, play music and even sketch. They’d find something to do, and half of the week they’d end the day at the local tavern, talking with the other skeletons and corpses there. By their fifth day of dating, their relationship was known by almost all the townsfolk. Many of the corpses and skeletons seemed pleased about it, though mostly because they were happy that Emily was finally happy. The maggot and the spider had taken to bugging Victor while Emily wasn’t looking, making sure he knew that there’d be consequences if he ever broke Emiily’s heart again- after which Emily would usually find them and scold them. Still, Victor didn’t mind it much, and the two got on happily together. For the first time in months, Victor was happy. And this time he was confident it would last.</p><p>~~~~~ </p><p>Time passed a bit differently in the land of the dead- a whole day down there was three days upstairs. Perhaps that’s why time seemed to pass both quicker and slower than Victor had anticipated.</p><p>Days passed, then weeks, and before either of them knew it, it had been an entire three months since Victor’s death and their subsequent reunion. They still slept in different rooms, but spent most hours by each other’s side- playing music, sketching, playing with Scraps, exploring the town, hanging out at the tavern. Victor had grown more comfortable in the land of the dead than he had ever been while he had been alive- an odd thing to say, but it was true. It was truly an odd thing that Victor found more comfort in death than living- but Victor was an odd person, so it didn’t faze him much. There wasn’t any way to truly prepare for what it was like to be dead- something about it just took away most, if not all of one’s doubts and worries about being dead. Victor barely even cared about his left eye that popped out on occasion, nor the gauntness of his face or even his head occasionally popping off. He supposed it should’ve bothered him more, but it was just a common thing nowadays, something he’d come to terms with. </p><p>Emily was always pleasant company, too. He’d never had such company while alive, not even in Victoria. Emily was caring, intelligent, but also creative, skilled and sharp. She knew what she wanted and didn’t fall for pity or deceit, instead choosing to chase what she wanted and do whatever she desired. She didn’t put up with things she didn’t like, and spoke out freely on such topics- something Victor actually found pleasing. Emily was no doubt an interesting woman, and Victor was immensely grateful to have her. </p><p>And Emily was grateful to have him- something she’d clarified on occasion. She’d tell Victor how much he differed from what Lord Bittern had been like- how Lord Bittern had been a charming but aloof man with a troubling side easily ignored by a lovesick young woman, while Victor was a quiet, well-mannered young man who appreciated life and death, and what each wrought. She told him one night, about three weeks after he’d passed, that she was truly grateful to be able to know him, to spend so many days with him- and potentially the rest of their conjoined afterlife. It was a sentiment he’d shared happily. </p><p>In their time together, the two had fixed up the house they took residence in, having taken more and more days to work on it. Of course, day and night was different in the land of the dead- there was no actual sun, but there was some sort of light filling the land during the daytime. Still, the days were a lot dimmer than what they had been upstairs. The nights were still quite similar, though thankfully actually less dark. </p><p>It was one of those nights that the two found themselves stargazing- or really, staring at the sky in hope to spot a single twinkling star in the vast expanse of black. Emily had pointed out two so far, giving a small laugh when Victor had yet to find any, before reassuring him he’d find one. She then clasped his hand in hers, leaning against him and resting her head on his shoulder as she continued to watch the sky. Victor glanced at her, before pressing a soft kiss to her forehead.</p><p>“I’m so happy to have you here, Victor.” Emily murmured, lifting her eyes slightly to meet his. “I wouldn’t have ever expected to see you down here again- and I’d have liked you to live a bit longer, but I do have to admit I’m grateful to have you now.”</p><p>“As am I.” Victor replied pleasantly. “These months have been, quite honestly, some of the best. And that is why I actually wanted to ask you something.”</p><p>Emily lifted her head off of his shoulder, blinking at him in confusion for a moment. As she stared at him, he turned so that he was fully facing her. He gave her a polite, warm smile and moved his hand- and Emily nearly shook when he pulled a ring out from behind him.</p><p>“These past three months have truly, truly been the best I’ve ever had- and they’ve been made infinitely better by having you. And I know I wasn’t the best husband the first time, but I want to try again. I want to give you the husband you deserve.” Victor held the ring up and took Emily’s hand in his.<br/>
“Emily, will you marry me?”</p><p>Emily blinked tearfully before leaning her head forward and nodding. “Yes. Yes I will.” She then suddenly leaned forward further, pressing her lips to his before pulling back and allowing the ring to be slid onto her finger. </p><p>It wasn’t the wedding ring she’d come to know all those years ago- she quickly noticed- but rather a handcrafted little thing, made of assorted metals wrought together with a small, clear raw gem held in the middle. It was a beautiful thing, and Emily took a beat longer just examining it.</p><p>“It’s so beautiful, Victor I-“ Emily blinked and brought her eyes to meet his- and stilled slightly. She’d never seen such lovestruck eyes apart from her own- and to see such true, raw love aimed at her was enough to bring tears back to her eyes. “I love you, Victor. Oh I love you so, so much.” </p><p>She fell forward into his arms as tears fell down her face, and Victor hugged her tightly, running his hand through her hair while the other ran circles along her back. When she lifted her head again, they kissed- a deep, passionate thing, love dripping from it headily. When they both withdrew, the love in both of their eyes outshone any stars they’d spotted.</p><p>“Not to push you so soon,” Victor murmured with a slight laugh, “But when shall our wedding be?”</p><p>Emily gave a slightly humored smile. “I’d rather give the townsfolk a bit of time to prepare, so as to not rush them like last time. Perhaps the end of the week?” </p><p>Victor smiled a smile that Emily swore could outshine any lightbulb she’d seen. “The end of the week it is.” He drew his face forward and planted a light kiss on her lips. “I can’t wait.”</p><p>Emily’s smiled widened. “Neither can I.”</p><p>~~~~~ </p><p>Victor knew he’d never forget his wedding day from the moment he woke up. He immediately noticed a shift in the land of the dead- it almost seemed livelier, cheerier, lighter. Weddings and big events weren’t common down here, he guessed- then again, not much ever actually happened in the land of the dead. Down here there weren’t schedules, there weren't jobs to go to or responsibilities to fill. It was just a constant stream of time with no end in sight. He still didn’t know exactly how it was determined who came down here and who went upstairs- even Elder Gutknecht hadn’t a clue- but he’d long since ceased to question it. </p><p>He remembered his and Emily’s wedding announcement with ease- how the townsfolk, while suspicious of him at first, had cheered so loudly he thought the land of the living might hear. They’d surrounded the two of them, swapping plans eagerly until a final idea was finally reached, and the whole town went off to prepare.</p><p>Elder Gutknecht had had his own message for Victor, however- pulling him aside shortly after the wedding had been announced. They’d talked for a little while, all about Victor and Emily and even Victoria. Eventually, Elder Gutknecht informed Victor that Victoria had been living comfortably since his death- she had been greatly saddened, but his efforts helped to support her once she was alone. She was happy, it seemed- and the news singlehandedly put all thought of his ex-wife to rest, leaving only space for his new wife instead. </p><p>The group of skeletons that had greeted him when he first arrived came to his door again, presenting a very neat and formal black suit that had apparently been made especially for him. He opened the door and let them in, and they quickly got to stitching up his arm and head, making final adjustments to his suit and fastening it onto him. They even fixed up his hair to the best of their ability until he looked like a proper groom- and even he was quite impressed when they pulled him in front of the mirror. He looked way nicer than he’d looked at his first wedding, and he was quite pleased by it. </p><p>Bone Jangles was the next to arrive, there to cart him to the wedding location. “Victor my boy!” He had cried, smiling as widely as his bones would allow, “Are you ready?”</p><p>Victor smiled. “Quite. Lead the way.”</p><p>Bone Jangles took him by the arm and led him away, down the road and off towards a slightly decrepit church, newly painted in anticipation of the wedding with grays, whites and muted colors. It was old indeed, but oddly beautiful. </p><p>As they entered, Victor noted that most of the townsfolk were already there, sitting happily in their seats. Elder Gutknecht stood at the alter upon a tower of books, extending a hand towards Victor as he approached.</p><p>“My boy, and here you are at last.” Elder Gutknecht said with a smile. “Ready, I imagine?”</p><p>“As one could ever be, after waiting so many years.” Victor replied simply with a nod. </p><p>Elder Gutknecht nodded in response. “Then, we shall proceed.” </p><p>The church instantly lit up once Elder Gutknecht spoke those four words. Lights in oil lamps were lit and placed about, as some skeletons played away at the organ, raising some soft but cheerful wedding music. Victor straightened himself and stepped up to the altar, posing in what was fit for a groom. It was nearly time, he knew, for Emily to appear- and despite her never not wearing her wedding dress, he still anticipated her.</p><p>A minute passed before the music picked up, and footsteps sounded from outside. The church doors were opened to reveal Emily there- somehow more beautiful than Victor had ever seen her. Her dark blue hair had been brushed and laid carefully to adorn her shoulders, while her dress was stitched up in areas where there were holes. Her dress had been tidied up a bit, and while it still looked worn, was fresher than normal. </p><p>She walked up to the altar with all the grace of a bride-to-be. Victor supposed that Emily had been waiting for such a moment her entire life- “Always the bridesmaid, never the bride.” She carried herself with elegance, and Victor knew she’d never been happier than this moment. He extended a hand to her, and she took it with her skeletal hand, smiling brightly at him. He smiled back, a happiness radiating from the both of them. It was time.</p><p>“We are gathered here today to witness the union of man and wife,” Elder Gutknecht began steadily, “Of Victor and Emily. Two souls drawn to each other at the wrong time, and thus reunited years later at the right time. It is my honor to stand here, and to deliver the vows. Victor?” </p><p>Victor cleared his throat and stared deeply into Emily’s eyes. “With this hand,” he took Emily’s, “I will lift your sorrows. Your cup will never be empty, for I will be your wine. With this candle, I will light your way into darkness. With this ring, I ask you to be mine.” He took the ring from the pillow, placing it carefully upon Emily’s finger. She beamed at him, before turning to Elder Gutknecht.</p><p>“And Emily?”</p><p>Emily turned her head back and stared into Victor’s eyes. “With this hand, I will lift your sorrows. Your cup will never be empty, for I will be your wine. With this candle, I will light your way into darkness. With this ring, I ask you to be mine.” Then, she took the second ring, placing it delicately upon Victor’s finger. </p><p>“Victor,” Elder Gutknecht began, staring at him, “Do you take Emily to be your lawfully wedded wife, from here until the end of time, shall death never do you part?” </p><p>“I do.”</p><p>“And Emily,” Elder Gutknecht turned to her now, “Do you take Victor to be your lawfully wedded husband, from here until the end of time, shall death never do you part?”</p><p>“I do.”</p><p>“It is my greatest honor to pronounce you, husband and wife.” </p><p>The church broke out in applause and Emily raised a hand to Victor’s cheek, and Victor took her in turn, drawing her in until their lips were one. It was a drawn, but adoring kiss, one such that Victor had never known in his life- but he was more than happy to place it on Emily. Emily kissed him back in turn, until they parted, her hand still on his cheek. They turned, hand in hand, and walked down the aisle together, to great applause. </p><p>The reception was just as wonderful as they’d expected. A cake had been prepared, although none of them could truly eat, with slices prepared and placed upon plates for each of them to enjoy. Victor and Emily sat at the helm, hand in hand, leaning upon one another. Emily took turns to lift a hand to his cheek, as he took turns to place a kiss upon hers. It was an occasion more splendid than any they’d known, even without the comfort and routine of a living wedding. It was enough for them, after all. </p><p>The wedding eventually came to an end, after many broken glasses and choruses. Victor and Emily walked towards their home, hand in hand, forever adorned in their wedding attire to spend the rest of their afterlife with each other. Victor lifted Emily’s cheek and placed a kiss upon the flesh there, smiling at her. </p><p>“I am so happy to finally be your husband.” He whispered, pressing another kiss to her hand.</p><p>Emily smiled back at him, warmth radiating from her dead body. “And I, your wife at last.”</p>
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